For Stack (and Sheed), a final chance at stardom

Jonathan Abrams of Grantland (formerly of the Times) offers a dual biography, um profile, of Jerry Stackhouse who rose to prominence together at Chapel Hill two decades ago and now find themselves in New York, "sages" of the Nets and Knicks and hoping for one more chance to prove themselves, maybe get a ring.

Wallace has a ring from the 2004 Pistons. Two years later, Stackhouse came close with the Mavericks and both have contributed to their teams this season, even if in a complementary role, Wallace limited by foot problems. Their signature now is their three-point shooting rather than athleticism.

"You're not going to beat Father Time," Stackhouse told Abrams. "He's going to catch up with us all. But I think we can manage him. I think that's what I learned to do. Playing less minutes, absorbing a little less of a role than I would customarily want … taking my wants out of the equation and putting other people's at the forefront. When I was pushing, pushing, pushing for what I really wanted, it seemed like I never really got it."

And even though he's playing less and less with a balky knee, Stack thinks his time with the Nets offers him one more perspective he hopes will help get him into coaching.

"I feel like I can relate to a franchise player. I can relate to being a starter who, for the team to take another step, needed to remove himself a little and become a sixth man," he said. "Now, I can relate to a guy who needs to maybe be an eighth man. And lo and behold, I can even relate to a 15th man."

• The intertwined careers of Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse - Jonathan Abrams - Grantland